I am pondering what the family tree of a tiefling might look like, and how that might change or influence that tiefer.
Lets look at the mixes.
Humans
Will mix with: Elves, Orcs, Ogres, Dragons, All known exemplar races
Will not mix with: Dwarfs, Kobalds, Thry'kreen
...okay this might take too long to really list.
Human + Lesser Taanari = half fiend
Human + Lesser Yugoloth = (not sure if possable)
Human + Lesser Baatazu =
bah can't think, will post more later.
Actually, not true. There's the Muls from Athas (Dark Sun). It just rare because most humans don't find Dwarves to be attractive.
Getting back to my original question/pondering, what does it take to make a tiefling?
Human A:Arcanaloth B Human C:Human D
..............Half-Fiend E:Human F
.....................Tiefling G?
Ok another tought on the subject. In my estimation there should be several major types of tiefling, depending on what kind of fiend they are decended from and how far their blood has mixed with that of other races/fiends.
As for the fiendish parent there are a few fiends that spring to my mind as likely: succubi, aracaloths, and erynias
Other feinds just don't seem to have the will or equipment to hook up with other races and have the parent survive long enough for the job to be done.
Tieflings have 1/4 or less fiendish blood. They're usually the offspring of half-fiends and mortals, or the offspring of two tieflings.
Less than 1/4 blood, however, is more likely to produce mortals with fiendish heritage feats, bloodlines, or warlocks.
Erinyes are sterile, like all female baatezu. They are incapable of having offspring.
See also:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/9974/tiefy.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/9974/f_tree.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/9974/plantouc.htm
http://www.geocities.com/ripvanwormer/bookoftieflings.html
http://www.geocities.com/ripvanwormer/baatezusex.html
First off, I'm almost certain Muls are sterile (which is why they're named after mules).
Anyway, Planetouched are not created by genetics, they're created by magic. It's the same way Half-dragons and Changelings exist even though it is generally assumed that you inherit the genes of the race one of these beings shapechanged into not the shapechanger itself. Think about it, Fiends are creatures of thought. Why would they even have genes at all? This explains why Tieflings don't always really look that much like their ancestors. No actual genentic material was past on, just the pure taint of evil. Which, as we know, can manifest in many ways.
Therefore, in my mind, it's not how much fiend blood is in you that matters, but how powerful the fiend was in the first place. A powerful being like a Balor or an Arcanaloth could conceivably have such a foul taint that his or her union with a mortal would be causing Tieflings to be born in the familly for five generations.
Anyway, there's really no hard and fast rule to whether such a descented is a full-on planetouched or just has a few of the traits. They way I see it, Tiefings who know their famillies will know where their taint comes from. Warlocks and the like may not.
Actually, not true. There's the Muls from Athas (Dark Sun). It just rare because most humans don't find Dwarves to be attractive.